Workers stand along a railroad track near the San Jacinto River in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in Kingwood, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
(David J. Phillip)

Brandon Martinez removes wood flooring from his aunt's home which was damaged by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
(David J. Phillip)

FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2017 file photo, Chris McCarty and Mike Taylor help carry Quintin Sanders, who has cerebral palsy, off a rescue boat in the north end of Beaumont, Texas. McCarty came from Lufkin, Texas to help rescue people from flooding due to Tropical Storm Harvey. For many people in the Houston area, the real takeaway from Harvey has not been misery, but kindness. The crime and opportunism that often follows big storms has been a notable non-factor, at least for now. (Ryan Pelham/The Beaumont Enterprise via AP)

In this Monday, Sept. 4, 2017, photo, Bob Janak, of Magnolia, Texas, stands inside his home that was damaged by floodwaters caused by Hurricane Harvey. After riding out the storm in a Motel 8 and waiting an agonizing week for the waist-high waters to recede, Janak returned to his wrecked home to find volunteers who took it upon themselves to help clean out the modest ranch house. (AP Photo/Robin McDowell)
(Robin McDowell)

Books destroyed by floodwaters inside the home of Pat Reynolds are piled on her front lawn in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in Spring, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
(David J. Phillip)

Pat Reynolds sorts through books which were damaged by floodwaters inside her home in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in Spring, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
(David J. Phillip)

Pat Reynolds walks through an opening in the plastic inside her home in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in Spring, Texas. Reynolds estimates she had six feet of water inside her home last week. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
(David J. Phillip)

Pat Reynolds walks past the pile of debris removed from her home which was damaged by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in Spring, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
(David J. Phillip)

Workers help move debris from a home damaged by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in Spring, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
(David J. Phillip)

Pat Reynolds talks about how high the water was while standing inside her home in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in Spring, Texas. Reynolds estimates six feet of water was in her home last week. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
(David J. Phillip)

The kitchen of the Kirby home is filled with floodwater in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Monday, Sept. 4, 2017, near the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

A car is submerged in floodwater in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Monday, Sept. 4, 2017, near the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

In this Sept. 5, 2017, photo, a worker walks past a pile of debris outside a business damaged by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Spring, Texas. With federal disaster reserves running out, the House is swiftly moving to pass President Donald Trump's request for a $7.9 billion first installment of relief for victims of Harvey. GOP leaders also hope to use the urgent Harvey aid bill to solve a far more vexing issue: Increasing the U.S. debt limit to permit the government to borrow freely again to cover its bills. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
(David J. Phillip)

In this Sept. 2, 2017 photo, Bobby Jucker, owner of Three Brothers Bakery, cleans up the storm damage at his bakery in Houston. In 2008, Hurricane Ike tore the roof off his business. Now he estimates he's facing $1 million in damage and lost revenue from Hurricane Harvey, the fifth time a storm has put his bakery out commission. A week after Harvey dropped four feet of rain on Houston, America's fourth-biggest city is struggling to reopen for business. (AP Photo/Brian Melley)
(Brian Melley)

In this Sept. 4, 2017 photo, James Kennedy surveys the damage from Hurricane Harvey to his house in Houston. Kennedy, who towed his wife and three kids to safety on an inflatable mattress, had been working 14-hour days since the flood hit and bemoaned the loss of keepsakes like baby photos that can't be replaced or Grateful Dead albums, cassettes and ticket stub from 103 concerts. Looking over the pile of construction debris, water-stained photos and Rollerblades in his front yard, he found his son's tarnished sterling silver birth mug and pulled it from the trash. (AP Photo/Brian Melley)
(Brian Melley)

Moldy drywall is removed from Winford Pate's flood-damaged home in Crosby, Texas, Sept. 4, 2017. Explosions at a chemical plant in Crosby in the wake of Hurricane Harvey have revealed gaps in emergency response and disclosure rules for the chemical industry nationwide. (Andrew Burton/The New York Times)

Maria Ontiveros documents items from her home that were damaged by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, in Spring, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
(David J. Phillip)

Maria Ontiveros documents items from her home that were damaged by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, in Spring, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
(David J. Phillip)

The
Orleans Parish School Board
is initiating a backpack and school supplies drive to assist Texas students affected by Hurricane
Harvey
. OPSB officials said in a released statement Thursday (Sept. 7) that schools and citizens across New Orleans are encouraged to participate and involve students in the effort.

Texas authorities told
The Associated Press
this week that as least 71 people drowned in floods, were crushed by trees, or died during power outages. Harvey also damaged more than 200,000 homes, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
suggested
Harvey's damages could cost as much as $180 billion, even more than from Hurricane
Katrina
in 2005.

Although Harvey's impact left New Orleans unharmed, OPSB Vice President Leslie Ellison drew attention to Houston's efforts to help New Orleans when "we were in need" in a released statement.

"Now is the time to act and ensure these children can return to a sense of normalcy as quickly as possible," Ellison stated. "We hope everyone will donate what they can. Every little bit helps."

Donations can be delivered to the OPSB Central Office at 3520 General DeGaulle Drive, 1
st
floor, Suite 1045 by Sept. 15. Items can be dropped off between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The following items are on the requested backpack supply list:

1 new backpack

1 package of pens

1 package of No. 2 pencils

1 pencil sharpener

1 eraser

1 24-pack of crayons or eight-pack of markers or colored pencils

1 12-inch ruler

1 pair of child safety scissors

2 pocket folders

2 spiral notebooks, 100 sheets each

1 one-inch wide binder

1 glue bottle or glue stick

1 roll of tape

School box for storing supplies

1 12-inch Ruler

1 package wide ruled loose leaf 8.5 x 11 paper

OPSB and the Recovery School District are among the many Louisiana school districts that have opened up
enrollment opportunities
for students displaced by Harvey. OPSB stated Thursday that "only a small number" of displaced families have begun the enrollment process in Orleans Parish schools. Families interested in enrolling their children in Orleans Parish public schools can find more information at www.enrollnola.org or by calling 877-343-4773.